Forests covered large tracts of Wisconsin in pre-settlement times, but only fragments of these forests still exist in southeastern Wisconsin. Present-day forests remaining here retain legacies of the past and are certain to change into the future. In this class we will explore the forests of southeastern Wisconsin. We will visit several different forest communities, including the old-growth beech-maple forest at the Field Station. We will examine the forces that structure forest communities, including historical influences and current conditions, and discuss how future changes might impact our forests. We will also learn to learn to identify common tree species, and talk about methods used to measure and characterize forest communities. This class is appropriate for students with little experience in plant identification who want to learn the trees, for teachers who would like to develop class activities in forests, or for anyone who wants to learn more about forests.

Instructors: Dr. Gretchen Meyer, Senior Scientist and Manager of the UWM Field Station, is a plant ecologist with extensive experience in forests. Robert Clare teaches ecology, botany and biology classes at UWM and MATC.